Improvement in the manufacture of water-proof fabrics



106. COMPOSITIONS,

COATING 0R PLAST|C.- I

USIIT D STATES P T T OFFICEF Specification-forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,906, dated February 27, 1866.

I To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, ALFRED TAYLOR, of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have itivented a new and useful Improvement inthe Treatment of Fibrous and Textile Fabrics, whereby they are rendered in a high degree water-proof, and their firmness, durability, and solidity of texture are greatly increased; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention.

The object of my-invention is to communieate to fibrous and textile fabrics, such as paper, pasteboard, muslin, or linen, certain qualities which they do not possess, or ppssess only in a slight degree, and which will enable those articles to be applied to various purposes in the arts and manufactures to which they are otherwise not adapted. These qualities are stiffness and firmness of body, with flexibility and loss brittleness-a surface susceptible in itself of polish by pressure or friction a, and without the addition of extraneous matter,

and such a capacity for resisting the actionpf water as will prevent articles made thereof from being spoiled or injured by its application, and as will permit of their being cleaned r by means of a wet sponge or cloth when soiled or'written on with a pencil.

This result I attain by saturating, impreghating, or coating the fabric to be treated with ALFREfiiAYLOR, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

I j IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACIURE OF WATER-PROOF FABRICS.

' vtogether in any convenient way, and if the a composition the basis of which is an a%neous solution of silicate of soda or ligui o in y Invention, owever, oes not consist in the use of this article, as it has been previously employed as a mordant in dyeing and calicoprinting, and as a substitute for,or equivalent of, starch for stiffening textile fabrics when they are desired to assume any particular shape under heat or pressure, and when so used have been applied in combination with dyes or coloring -Inatter. Articles, however, thus simply silicated, or silicated and dyed, do not possess I the peculiar qualities which I attain by my invent-ion, because they are thereby rendered hard and brittle, as well as stiff, and they will also readily yield to the action of water, so that the silicate will wash out if moistened, and the fabric become limp and misshapen. I have however succeeded, by the combination, with liquid silicate of soda, of a certain ingredient oringredients, in making an insoluble dressing for textile fabrics which communicates to them, when it is appliedas herein-1 after described, the desired qualities before referred to.

The principal ingredient which I employ in makingthe insoluble silicated dressing is white oxide of zinc which gives the desired'degree Mammy, and susceptibility to polish,

with a very great, if not complete, resistance to the action of water. Otheringredients may be used as equivalents or substitutes for the: white oxide of zinc, or may be used therewith, such as arbonate of ma nesia or hos )hateof J M-but, on tie w o e, prefer the w I e oxide of zinc, as best satisfying the indication, anld at the sametime giving a beautifully-white I co or.

To enable others skilled in the art to use my improvement, I will, proceed to describe themanner in which the same is practically used.- The composition with which the paper, linen, muslin, or other fabric is to be coated or satu-' rated I prepare as follows; to a quantity of J liquid silicate of soda or liquor of flint I add whitejlxjde of z i p e in the proportion of about She pound of the latter to a' gallon of the former. These articles are intimately mixedfabric, when finished, is to be white, no other coloring-matter than the white oxide of zinc isnecessary.

' As before stated, other substances may be I added to or. substituted for the oxide of zinc i or mixed-with the silicate--s u'ch,"for instance, as carbonate otlgr agn esia or phosphate of limeand greater 'dexibility'may e impartec to the 'fabric under treatment by adding a small quantit-v of flour, starch, or other similar substance.

f anyvcolor'other than white is to be im-' parted to the finished fabric, the colorin -mat- ;er may be mixed with the composnIon iieiore (escribed. 4 x The mode of applying this silicating mixture (which may be used either cold or hot) is either to put it on-with a brush, or, preferably, to use a suitable machine, by means of which the fabric under treatment is immersed in or passed through a vat or trough containing the composition and pressed between rollers, so as more thoroughly to apply it. The superfluous dressing may be removed by means of scrapers acting upon the surface of the saturated fabric.

After one coating of the silicating mixture has been applied the fabric should be dried or allowed to dry, after which it may reeeive'as many more successive coatings as may be found desirable; in most cases, however, two or three dressings will s'uffice. After the fabric has received as many dressings with the silicatin'g composition as may be advisable, according to the purpose for which it is designed to be used, and is dried, it may be caleudered, by passing it between polished rollers or otherwise, and astill higher degree of polish may be given to its surface, if desired, by rubbing with sand-paper, pumice-stone, or other material or means which can be used for that purpose.

Being aware that silicate of soda has been used as a mordant with coloring-matter in dye.- ing and calico-printing and for the purpose of stiffening textile fabrics, Ido not claim its use for these purppses, as when so used it gives more stiffness to the fabric and does not render it capable of resisting the action of water; but i What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Treating paper, muslin, linen, and other fibrous'and textile fabrics, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described, with a composition of liquid silicate of soda. intimately mixed with white oxide of zinc or other similar ingredient or ingredients, capable of forming, when applied as described and subsequently dried, an insoluble compound therewith, and with or without the addition of other coloring-matter, for the purpose of rendering textile fabrics in a high degree water-proof and susceptible of a fine polish, and also of increasing their stiffness and durability.

In testimony whereof I, the said ALFRED TAYLOR, have hereunto set my hand.

Witnesses:

ALLAN O. BAKEWELL, W. BAKEWELL.

ALFRED TAYLOR. a I 

